At the Library

The Good Luck of Right Now

A Novel

When his mother dies, 38-year-old Bartholomew Neil, who doesn't know how to be on his own, discovers a letter in his mother's underwear drawer that causes him to write a series of highly intimate letters to actor Richard Gere, while embarking on a quest to find out where he belongs.

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Kind of disappointed with this one. Extremely slow paced, characters and plot left undeveloped. The ending was rushed which diminished the believability. Essentially, it felt like Grisham was phoning it in. That is highly unusual for this author. Usually his work is fantastic but I guess everyone has their off days

This book by Matthew Quick was different due to it being written in the form of letters (written only to Richard Gere). I found it probably more true to life than most people would admit to. After all, we do not all fit into society like a puzzle piece. Some of us have sharper angles or more rounded sides which doesn't allow us to fit in. This book is a reminder that, although we may be different, we are all human beings and we all have an interesting story to tell.

What's so great about this book? First of all, it's written entirely in letters to Richard Gere! This book is simultaneously quirky, fun and heartbreaking. You'll root for Bartholomew on his quest to find life after the death of his mother. It's a road novel that also deals heavily in mental illness and social issues. Recommended by Sarah

Bartholomew Neil is trying to figure out his life, and he has found just the person to help him do it – actor Richard Gere. In a series of letters to his new spiritual and personal guide, Bartholomew introduces us to the cast of characters in his life: Father McNamee, a defrocked (and likely bipolar) priest; his mother, who espouses the theory of the “good luck of right now”; Max, a devout believer in aliens who is deeply mourning the death of his cat, and Elizabeth, the strangely quiet Girlbrarian. In a voice that is both unassumingly wise and deeply sympathetic, Bartholomew shows us a world that is both weird and wonderful.

Quirky and very quick read. I was rooting for Bartholomew from the very beginning of the book. Matthew Quick has a talent for tapping into mental/social issues (he also wrote Silver Linings Playbook). Would love to see a movie version, with Richard Gere starring, of course!